Thursday, June 21, 2018

On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order which stopped his previous policy of separating families at the US-Mexican border.

This new executive order will allow families who cross the border illegally to instead be detained together rather than being forcibly separated as has been occurring since 6 April 2018. The order specifies nothing with regards to reuniting the families who have already been separated. Moreover, another law (The Flores Settlement) will also have to be modified since it prohibits the government from holding children in detention for longer than twenty days.

What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of Donald Trump during Wednesday's impromptu signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

DONALD TRUMP (continuing at 0:26): ... but we're going to keep - the families together. I didn't like the sight or the feeling of the families being separated. Ah, this is a problem that's gone on for many years asyou know, with many administrations ...

During 0:30, as Donald Trump says, "... like ...", he shrugs his right shoulder.

A shoulder shrug transmits the thought-emotions of:

• I don't know
• I don't care
• What does it matter?

A unilateral shoulder shrug is an example of what, in body language parlance is called a Partial Emblematic Slip. The term partial is applied here because it's only used on one side. It's classified as an emblem because it's a universally recognized signal. And it's called a slip because it's subconsciously leaking - rather than being deliberately displayed.

A very significant statement analysis tell (a subset of paralanguage) is revealed when Trump says, "I didn't like the sight or the feeling of the families being separated. Here, the President emphasizes what HE didn't like or felt - not what THE FAMILIES - particularly the YOUNG CHILDREN must have been feeling. At a time when empathy should be a profound and highly focused theme, the President instead shows us his ego.

We see an example of a bilateral shoulder shrug during 0:37 as he says, "... as you ..." (How many others did you spot in this video?).

JOURNALIST (beginning at 4:38): Did Ivanka Trump show you photos of the children being separated from their families?

PRESIDENT TRUMP (over-talking): No, Ivanka feels very strongly, my wife feels very strongly about it. Ah, I feel very strongly about it, I think, ah, Ω anybody with a heart would feel strongly about it. We don't like to s, see [stutter] families separated ...

During 4:48, just before he says, "... anybody with a heart would feel strongly about it...", Donald Trump displays a Tight Tongue Jut (notated by the Ω symbol). A tight tongue jut signifies the emotions of disdain, disgust, and repulsion. Thus, Donald Trump is feeling disdain, disgust, and repulsion as he's entertaining the thought of other people having empathy (e.g., anybody with a heart...).

Another interesting statement analysis tell was demonstrated when Trump called his daughter by name - and yet didn't use Melania's name - instead referring to her as "my wife". This pattern in his word choice betrays the President's diminished affection for his third spouse. It's a significant verbal tell - even when used in isolation - but it's particularly glaring when juxtaposed next to a named family member.

You may have noticed that throughout much of this video, Mike Pence displayed significant anxiety as he repetitively pinched and picked his forefinger fingernails against his thumbnails. In this image, the Vice President is showing this anxiety tell on his right hand - although he exhibited this body language bilaterally.

SUMMARY: Donald Trump displays a significant lack of empathy on multiple occasions during this video. The thought of other people having empathy disgusts and repulses him. Moreover, he's being deceptive when the President speaks of not liking the sight of families being separated. On the contrary - such forced separation does not bother him.

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This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.